C section

[ellabella1998]

Can someone give me some c section positive stories please x much appreciated

3 sections here. 1 emergency and 2 planned. The were such calm experiences. Went in for my spinal block. Laid back. Nurses had the music on dancing around cracking jokes. Baby out. Sewn up and off to bond with baby. BF both planned. Couldnt BF emcs baby as I was in a bad way after . Great recoveries. Up and about showering that evening. Scar healed well. Driving after 2 weeks all times.

I had a very good experience OP, all very calm and very well managed. There are 3 teams there, one for your head end, one for your belly, one for your baby. In recovery they are lovely and quiet and calm too, helping you breastfeed/express your colostrum fit your baby's first meal. They will ask you if you want to bf or formula feed they aren't judging they just need to get the right meal for baby and get you off to a good start.
No need to be scared OP xx

@ellabella1998 am the same ive got mine next week getting nervous about it all and the recovery xx

@melc84 ah is this your first time in absolutly petrified I just can't get my head around laying on the table being cut open . Also so worried about if theirs something wrong with the baby I would just be helpless parayalysed . I think I'm being completely irrational but it's just my anxiety .

Yeah this is my first baby. So it’s all new I’ve had a terrible pregnancy so have went with a c section for both out health’s but like you and a bit scared. And not being able to do anything after it as well scares me cause am always up and about xx

I had an emergency section and it was honestly very straightforward. I was up on my feet within six hours and able to go shower. I didn't need any stronger painkillers than ibuprofen/paracetamol after the initial long-lasting pain relief they give up at the time of surgery. I was discharged 24 hours later, was able to go to the supermarket the next day and had zero issues caring for my baby, climbing the stairs in my house, etc. I was back driving at three weeks.

I always say in would have another section in a jiffy, just not the nine months of pregnancy that go with it

3 sections all planned due to high risk at 37 weeks. Very calm experience, taken to theatre have cannula put in hand, local anesthetic to the back. Then spinal block put in - was dreading this - you don't feel anything as the local has numbed you.
Then your legs start to feel warm and tingly, they get you to turn and lay down and at this point I couldn't feel my legs anymore and the staff help you lay down.
Next they spray a cold spray on parts of your body and ask what you can feel. Once you are sufficiently numbed they start. I was always paranoid about feeling something. All 3 times they announced they have started and I couldn't feel anything!!
Then a few minutes later they announce the baby is about to come out!! Each time I have been shocked how quickly they get to this stage. Then after baby shown to me, baby has checks done and given back to you to cuddle.
Stitching up then takes 20-30 mins but the feeling of relief means this is not a worry. Each time I have been so glad for it to be over with!!
Best wishes

I had a section and yes it was painful but it didn't last that long and the actual delivery was amazing so calm and able to appreciate it. I was driving within three weeks and up and about after a few days.. x

My worst part is when they take the baby away I'm just petrified that their will be something wrong with him and I won't be able to move . Was anyone else worried about this or am I just being paronoid what's the likelihood of something being wrong with him I wouldn't know about at this stage

I think that's probably your anxiety talking although it's understandable as pregnancy is a very anxiety inducing time!

Your arms won't be paralysed and to be honest if there were any issues with baby (which is very unlikely) you wouldn't be getting up to deal with it yourself even if you had a vaginal birth. You would need to deliver the placenta. The doctors and midwives would be looking after baby.

My DS1 did end up needing a bit of extra help at birth (he passed meconium inside which made him a bit poorly) but he was really well looked after and after one night is special care was back with me. We had a longer stay in hospital because he needed antibiotics but it was all fine (he's nearly 4 now!)

I don't say that to worry you but to reassure you that in the unlikely event that baby does need a bit of extra help he/she will be in the best possible place with lots of people looking after them.

Best of luck with everything, try not to worry too much if you can.

I had an emergency section just before midnight. The team were great. My baby started breast feeding within an hour of birth and had no BF issues.
I was up and moving by 8 the next morning and out for walks with the baby by end of second week.
My baby was too big to do skin to skin with me ( 4.8 kg) so they gave him to my DP where he promptly did a big poo which is still a running joke.

I have had two both emergency back in 1969 and 1972.
Will not comment as I can see by this thread that things have vastly changed for the better now thank goodness
I am sure you will be fine OP, looking forward to your baby news.

@ellabella1998 the midwife is there and dedicated to your baby's care, you can see your baby at all times, the midwife station is only a few feet from your head and is in yours and your partners line of sight. They put your baby on to you very quickly and get partner to cut the chord etc - it's just the same as if it was a v birth. You can move your arms and head no problem.
Midwife station is to clean baby and count the wee fingers and toes, weight and length - all the same process as would happen with v birth,
It's all very quick, smooth and without stress. Please speak to your community midwife or consultant to talk you through the process and what will happen so you are more confident with what's going on.
Xx

Thank you for sharing all these positive stories it’s really helped me too. Can I ask how many of you ladies felt sick or threw up during or after the procedure? I’m not scared of the pain but I am severely phobic of vomiting and am worried I wouldn’t be able to cope if I was throwing up whilst lying on my back? X

They give you quite a lot of anti sickness medication in my experience. I didn't feel sick at all in either of my sections or afterwards.

I felt a little bit woozy a couple of times during the actual surgery because the spinal block had dropped my blood pressure. I told the anaesthetist who gave me something to combat it and I felt fine again pretty much straight away.

I had a planned c section 10 days ago.

All very straightforward, up and about as soon as the spinal wore off taking baby steps to the toilet/around the ward to keep mobile

As soon as the catheter came out I had a shower and only had one night in hospital

Key things for me:

Get moving ASAP but don’t over do it. Just a little walk every couple of hours and stand up straight!

Keep on top of the pain meds, I have paracetamol every 6 hours and ibuprofen every 8 hours. I’ve got alarms in my phone to remind me to take each one

Shower daily but no shower gel/soap directly on the wound. Pat dry and then dry further with hairdryer on the cool setting

Get c section knickers from amazon - they’re breathable and allow the air to the wound. It will heal better this way

It’s honestly not as bad as I thought and I felt myself after a couple of days vs the weeks of feeling run over by a bus after my first forceps birth

Good luck!

So glad I decided to make an account and actually write my own thread as iv been searching for months for some positive c section comments and theses have literally made me feel ten times better about the whole think . Thank you all

2 DC - first natural birth. Huge problems after. 2nd a planned section. Absolute doddle. Easy.

But you will worry no matter what, so nothing we can say will help. Worrying is totally normal. It's a totally reasonable thing to do. So accept it and try not to let it take over.

My planned section was an incredible experience after a pretty difficult vaginas birth with my first. So calm and relaxed.

The only thing I would add to what others have said is to not be alarmed if a day or so after the section you get terrible trapped wind! It’s quite common. I told a midwife and she gave me a peppermint drink and I was soon farting like a trooper 🤣

Vaginal, rather. I do only have the one.

My second DS was very poorly after he was born (he’s fine now) - I had a planned section and was much more capable of dealing with him being ill than I would have been after the natural birth of DS1 when I was physically and mentally exhausted.

What was wrong with him ? Did you know before having him he wasn't well

I had an elective c-section with my last DC after two traumatic vaginal births and it was amazing, I almost wished I’d had a CS with my other DC too . It was just so much easier than the vaginal births for me and tbh the recovery was a similar amount of time due to how traumatic my births were.

Also should say I was discharged about 14 hours after he was born which surprised me to no end, I was expecting to be kept in for days.

@ellabella1998 hope you don't mind me jumping on to say, I'm following too. Have a c section soon too and I'm terrified! These stories are lovely to read.